Courtship interference occurs when dominant males hinder female assessment of prospective males during female mate choice, leading to a more complex distribution of mating success. In this study, we describe and evaluate courtship interference in underground mating of the fiddler crab Austruca lactea. When a mate-searching female enters the burrow of a courting male, neighboring males frequently interfere in the female-male interaction. We thus identified mate-searching females and observed their interactions until pairing. The duration until females’ final decision for pairing increased with the number of interferences by neighboring males. The females reappeared more frequently from the burrow of the finally selected male when neighboring males interfered. These results suggest that courtship interference by neighboring males delays pairing between the mate-searching female and the finally selected male in this species. The number of interferences by neighboring males increased with female size, implying that large females with high fecundity potential induce interference by neighboring males. Moreover, in approximately half of the cases in which interference occurred at the burrow of the immediate last male before the finally selected male, the finally selected male was the interfering one. The distribution of mating success was therefore biased toward males that combined attractiveness (according to female preference) and dominance (which is associated with courtship interference) in this species. Courtship interference is a type of male-male competition and it may hamper female mate choice. In Austruca lactea, neighboring males often interfere in the interaction between a courting male and a mate-searching female. We demonstrated the effect of courtship interference by neighboring males in these interactions. The interferences prolonged the duration of female decision-making for pairing and temporarily expelled the female from the burrow of the finally selected male. These results imply that these interferences may potentially prevent pairing. Moreover, the finally selected males had often succeeded in interfering in the courtship interaction between the female and another male. Therefore, males with high mating success were not only attractive to the females of this species but also dominant in courtship interference.

中文翻译：

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邻近雄性的求爱干扰可能会阻止招潮蟹 Austruca lactea 的配对

当占主导地位的雄性在雌性择偶期间阻碍雌性对未来雄性的评估时，就会发生求爱干扰，从而导致更复杂的交配成功分布。在这项研究中，我们描述和评估了招潮蟹 Austruca lactea 地下交配中的求偶干扰。当寻找配偶的雌性进入求偶雄性的洞穴时，相邻的雄性经常干扰雌性和雄性的互动。因此，我们确定了寻找配偶的雌性并观察它们的相互作用直到配对。直到雌性最终决定配对的持续时间随着相邻雄性的干扰次数而增加。当邻近的雄性干扰时，雌性更频繁地从最终选择的雄性的洞穴中重新出现。这些结果表明，邻近雄性的求偶干扰延迟了该物种中寻找配偶的雌性和最终选择的雄性之间的配对。相邻雄性的干扰次数随着雌性体型的增加而增加，这意味着具有高繁殖力潜力的大型雌性会引起相邻雄性的干扰。此外，在最终选择的雄性之前的最后一个雄性的洞穴中发生干扰的情况中，大约有一半的情况下，最终选择的雄性是干扰者。因此，交配成功的分布偏向于在该物种中结合了吸引力（根据雌性偏好）和优势（与求爱干扰有关）的雄性。求爱干扰是一种男性与男性的竞争，它可能会妨碍女性择偶。在 Austruca lactea，邻近的雄性经常干扰求爱的雄性和寻找配偶的雌性之间的互动。我们证明了在这些互动中相邻雄性的求爱干扰的影响。干扰延长了雌性决定配对的持续时间，并暂时将雌性从最终选择的雄性的洞穴中驱逐出去。这些结果意味着这些干扰可能会阻止配对。而且，最终被选中的雄性往往成功地干扰了雌性和另一个雄性之间的求爱互动。因此，交配成功率高的雄性不仅对该物种的雌性有吸引力，而且在求偶干扰方面也占优势。邻近的雄性经常干扰求爱的雄性和寻找配偶的雌性之间的互动。我们证明了在这些互动中相邻雄性的求爱干扰的影响。干扰延长了雌性决定配对的持续时间，并暂时将雌性从最终选择的雄性的洞穴中驱逐出去。这些结果意味着这些干扰可能会阻止配对。而且，最终被选中的雄性往往成功地干扰了雌性和另一个雄性之间的求爱互动。因此，交配成功率高的雄性不仅对该物种的雌性有吸引力，而且在求偶干扰方面也占优势。邻近的雄性经常干扰求爱的雄性和寻找配偶的雌性之间的互动。我们证明了在这些互动中相邻雄性的求爱干扰的影响。干扰延长了雌性决定配对的持续时间，并暂时将雌性从最终选择的雄性的洞穴中驱逐出去。这些结果意味着这些干扰可能会阻止配对。而且，最终被选中的雄性往往成功地干扰了雌性和另一个雄性之间的求爱互动。因此，交配成功率高的雄性不仅对该物种的雌性有吸引力，而且在求偶干扰方面也占优势。干扰延长了雌性决定配对的持续时间，并暂时将雌性从最终选择的雄性的洞穴中驱逐出去。这些结果意味着这些干扰可能会阻止配对。而且，最终被选中的雄性往往成功地干扰了雌性和另一个雄性之间的求爱互动。因此，交配成功率高的雄性不仅对该物种的雌性有吸引力，而且在求偶干扰方面也占优势。干扰延长了雌性决定配对的持续时间，并暂时将雌性从最终选择的雄性的洞穴中驱逐出去。这些结果意味着这些干扰可能会阻止配对。而且，最终被选中的雄性往往成功地干扰了雌性和另一个雄性之间的求爱互动。因此，交配成功率高的雄性不仅对该物种的雌性有吸引力，而且在求偶干扰方面也占优势。